The Rise of Adventure Tourism

How adventure tourism is gaining popularity every day?
Tourism is not just about staying at luxurious hotels or satisfying your taste
buds with some exotic delicacies, it is also about an adventure to some
unknown or unexplored destination. Adventure spots like hiking, rafting,
kayaking or trekking lend a special appeal to holiday trips.
According to the Adventure Travel Trade Association, adventure travel is the
fastest growing segment of the leisure travel industry. Adventure travel
remains unaffected by factors like recession and the economic slowdown,
since adventure lies in the mind of the adventurer.
Adventure Tourism Market Growing at Nearly 46% CAGR to
2020
2016 global adventure tourism market research says availability of low-cost
airlines will be a key trend for market growth which saw 56.51% tourist travelling
by flights, an increment from the 54% in 2014. Further, adventure tourism
involves more traveling to reach a point from where the adventure activities start.
For instance, adventure tourists need different modes of transportation because
activities such as mountain climbing, caving, hiking, and skydiving are organized
far away from the main city. Due to the increasing influx of international tourists,
many new budget-friendly airlines are being launched to cater to the increasing
transportation needs.
This analyst forecast the global adventure tourism market to grow at a CAGR
of 45.99% during the period 2016-2020. According to the adventure tourism
market report, increased preference for adventure over other tourism
activities will be a key driver for market growth. In 2015, the adventure
tourism industry generated revenue of $7.88 trillion. However, the
definition of tourism is changing rapidly. The beachside vacation or regular
sight-seeing holidays are losing its market to adventurous activities such as
skydiving, surfing, rock or mountain climbing, caving, and deep-sea diving
that involve high risk.

The international adventure tourism market is likely to grow at a fast pace
during the forecast period and is anticipated to post a CAGR of more than
46% by 2020. Much of the segment’s growth can be attributed to the
increased popularity of international holiday destinations among global
tourists. Countries such as France, Germany, Spain, and Iceland are the most
preferred adventure tourism destinations for the international tourists. The
rise in the number of adventure sports in these countries is resulting in
higher tourist arrivals, which is spurring the growth prospects for the overall
market.
Europe dominated the adventure tourism market and accounted for more
than 40% of the total market share. Some of the most popular adventure
sports that attract tourists in the region include paragliding, kite surfing, and
hiking on mountains and glaciers. The market growth in the region is also
driven by some of the emerging destinations in countries like Albania and
Serbia, which have posted double-digit growth rates. The healthy growth of
adventure tourism markets of Hungary, Romania, Latvia, and Armenia will
result in the high growth of the European adventure tourism market, which
will post a high CAGR of around 46% during the forecast period.
The following companies are the key players in the global adventure tourism
market: Austin Adventures, Explore Worldwide, G Adventures, and
Mountain Travel Sobek. Other prominent vendors in the market are:
Boundless Journeys, Butterfield & Robinson, Classic Journeys, Geographic
Expeditions, Intrepid Travels, Kensington Tours, Mantis Extreme, and
Wilderness Travels.
References/Sources;
The Hotel & Resort Insider:
http://www.hotelresortinsider.com/news_story.php?news_id=133883&cat_i
d=8
PR Newswire:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/adventure-
tourism-market-growing-at-nearly-46-cagr-to-2020-597059331.html